Some thoughts from Gerald May’s “Addiction & Grace” compiled by David Vraza MA.
I’m continuing to explore May’s thesis that self-deception lies at the heart of addiction. May cautions us, “No matter how much it may be kept hidden, addiction is never a completely individual thing.” In our slavery to addiction, we recruit others for “support.” Their unwitting collusion in our self-deception is called codependency.
Their attempts to cope with our addictive behaviors often lead them to “actually create their own interweaving webs of deception.” The most sympathetic and compassionate people are the most likely to fall into codependency. Again, “all the mind tricks and self-deceptions have one dedicated purpose: to continue the addictive behavior.” If our inner circle does not support ending our addiction, they will wind up supporting the addiction against our best interests. We need a supportive community to overcome our addictions. Our addictions reveal our contradictory motives. We are at war with ourselves. A supportive community is an essential ingredient to reduce the power of self-deception at the foundation of our harmful addictions.
For further assistance, please call 763-566-0088 and speak to our Client Services Coordinator or stop by the NewPath Mental Health Services office at 8401 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 340, Golden Valley, MN 55426 to find out about services you are interested in.